Casino Workers Strike at Isle Casino in Florida

Not long ago, we reported on the news that Eldorado Resorts and Caesars Entertainment agreed to merge. It’s of the largest casino deals ever made in the United States. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy that these two companies are coming together. Employees at Isle Casino in Florida are preparing to protest this week.

A number of casino workers feel this new merge could lead to job cuts. As a result, many are preparing to fight back. Let’s take a quick look back at the details of this huge merge, and discuss how it may affect casino workers throughout the country.

Eldorado Resorts Signs Historic Deal With Caesars Entertainment

Eldorado Resorts and Caesars Entertainment are two of the biggest names in the casino industry. Both companies operate multiple casinos, including in Atlantic City, one of the fastest growing gambling markets in the country. In June, both of these companies announced they had agreed to merge.

Eldorado purchased the rights to Caesars Entertainment properties for $17 billion. The combining of these two casino powerhouses creates one of the most powerful gambling groups in the United States. It’s being renamed “Caesars” and will be operated mainly by officials within Eldorado Resorts.

With the merge, Caesars will now operate more than 80 different casinos across 12 different states. As we just mentioned, this includes multiple casinos within Atlantic City. This company is likely to push into the newly-forming Japanese casino market over the next few years.

There are some that feel this merge could have negative consequences. UNITE HERE, one of the largest unions representing casino workers, has warned that it could result in job loss. Obviously, this is not sitting well with casino employees.

Employees at Isle Casino in Florida Set to Protest

Just a few weeks after the Caesars merge was made, casino workers around the country began to push back. This week, employees at the Isle Casino in Florida are ready to strike. Workers here have voted to protest outside this casino over the potential job losses and unfair wages.

This casino was purchased by Eldorado Resorts in 2017. Almost immediately after, more than 80 employees were laid off. Workers here don’t want to see this happen again.

Myrtho Bien-Aime, a housekeeper at the Isle Casino, expressed her frustrations to the media this week.

“I have worked at the casino for almost seven years. I make $9.20 per hour. They made $100 million in 2018, and our department lost so many workers in the layoff. We work harder for less pay, and they are making so much money. It’s just not fair.”

She certainly has a point. Long-time employees at the Isle Casino in Florida shouldn’t need to worry about losing their jobs. Why are these workers expecting job cuts?

UNITE HERE Warns of Future Employee Cuts

Almost every time two major companies merge, there are some changes made. That’s exactly what the casino union is warning about.

According to Eldorado Resorts CEO Thomas Reeg, his company plans to cut Caesars’ operating costs by $500 million. Many are skeptical of this actually happening. Reducing the number of employees is certainly a way that this merged company can cut down on cost.

Casino workers at the Eldorado-operated Isle Casino are worried. This merge will not actually take place until mid-2020, yet job cuts may come even sooner.

UNITE HERE represents about 25,000 workers associated with Eldorado Resorts and Caesars. Hope is that by protesting, these employees can make a statement that they are not going anywhere. Make sure to stay tuned for updates on the Isle Casino in Florida!